Hampton man to plead guilty to trafficking firearms online

HAMPTON — A Hampton man accused of illegally trafficking firearms overseas on an underground, Internet-based marketplace known as “Black Market Reloaded,” has agreed to plead guilty to the crime in federal court.

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By Patrick Cronin

seacoastonline.com

By Patrick Cronin

Posted May. 7, 2014 at 10:36 AM
Updated May 7, 2014 at 10:40 AM

By Patrick Cronin

Posted May. 7, 2014 at 10:36 AM
Updated May 7, 2014 at 10:40 AM

» Social News

HAMPTON — A Hampton man accused of illegally trafficking firearms overseas on an underground, Internet-based marketplace known as “Black Market Reloaded,” has agreed to plead guilty to the crime in federal court.

Matthew Crisafi, 38, a resident of Esker Road, was extradited to New Jersey in November, after he was arrested on a warrant on three firearm trafficking charges by special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.

His arrest came after a months-long investigation where Crisafi allegedly negotiated with an undercover officer, whom he believed was an international purchaser of firearms, to sell several semi-automatic handguns and rifles.

New Jersey prosecutors filed paperwork last week noting they reached a negotiated plea deal, which Crisafi has signed, that would render the presentation of this matter to a grand jury for indictment unnecessary.

Terms of the deal have not yet been made public as the prosecution and defense are still working to schedule a plea hearing date with the court.

Crisafi was arrested on Nov. 7, 2013, on charge of unlicensed sale of firearms, smuggling of firearms from the United States to an overseas destination, and conspiring to commit money laundering in connection with firearms trafficking activities.

According to the complaint, the Homeland Security probe began in April 2013, when special agents started to look into illicit sales activity on Black Market Reloaded. The Web site provides a platform for vendors and buyers to conduct anonymous online transactions involving the sale of a variety of illegal goods, including firearms, ammunition, explosives, narcotics and counterfeit items.

Unlike mainstream e-commerce Web sites, BMR is only accessible via the Tor network — a special computer network designed to enable users to conceal their identities and locations.

During the investigation, federal officials said they learned Crisafi maintained a seller's profile on BMR to advertise the illegal sale of firearms and ammunition.

According to a federal affidavit, an undercover officer, posing as a buyer, contacted Crisafi, who after several weeks of negotiations agreed to sell a Smith & Wesson .380 semi-automatic handgun to him for $3,300.

Additional purchases followed. In all, Crisafi is alleged to have sold multiple firearms to the undercover officer, valued by law enforcement to be worth more than $11,000 on the black market.

Investigators said Crisafi, who owns an independent trucking company, arranged to ship the weapons from New Hampshire to New Jersey, where it would then be shipped to a location overseas.

All the shipments, however, were intercepted by law enforcement officials before they made it to the destination overseas.

According to court documents, New Hampshire postal workers were able to identify Crisafi as the man who shipped the packages. The proceeds from the transactions also led back to Crisafi.